Chapter 46 - The Little Girl
In this chapter, Chapter 46: Chapter 45 The Little GirlLi Yifei used to live quite close to his... Continue reading Chapter 46 of "Super Soldier in the City" for the full story!
Chapter 46: Chapter 45 The Little GirlLi Yifei used to live quite close to his company, so he could just walk to work, but now that he was staying at Xu Yingyingâs place, which was much farther away, he had to take the bus.
This was Li Yifeiâs first time squeezing onto the bus in Mile City, and it was only upon reaching the bus stop that he realized just how many people were there, all scrambling to get onâthe workers and the students alikeâat this hour.
After letting two buses pass because he had tried to queue up civilly, while everyone else clambered on recklessly, he realized that time was running out. Afraid of being late for work, Li Yifei decided to join the scramble when the third bus arrived.
Using his strength to his advantage made boarding the bus feel like childâs play, and he managed to muscle his way inside smoothly.
Once he was on the bus, however, he found the situation not unlike the cramped elevator he had experienced before, only worse. People pressed against each other, compressed together, turning the bus into something resembling a sardine can.
Surrounded by people on all sides, Li Yifei felt far from dejected. After all, wasnât this ordinary life what he was seeking when he left the military?
As the bus started and jerked into motion, people swayed in unison, and Li Yifei quickly reached out to steady himself on a handrail while someone pressed tightly against his back. Despite the layered clothing worn due to the winter cold, he could still feel the softness against him, clearly indicating a woman behind him.
Turning around, he saw a girl in a down jacket. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, not too short, standing around 165 centimeters. Girls at that age have typically reached full maturity, including their height reaching its peak.
She was carrying a backpack and had her hair tied up in a ponytail, with a oval-shaped face, a slightly pointed chin, and two big, round eyes that were now fixed on Li Yifei with an embarrassed smile, obviously aware that her chest had bumped into him.
Li Yifei responded with a smile before turning back around. She was certainly a pretty girl, who would likely grow up to be on par with the likes of Xu Yingying, but Li Yifei had no interest in kids, especially not one who was still a student.
A couple of minutes into the ride, the girl behind him began to fidget and kept pushing closer to Li Yifei, which puzzled him. Whatâs this girl up to? He didnât entertain the thought that she might be flirting with him on purpose. After all, it was said that girls nowadays liked to chase after older men.
Just as he was about to turn around, he heard the girl shout from behind him, "You filthy pervert, get away from me! Do you think Iâm an easy target?"
Her voice was sharp, clear, and loud, instantly drawing the attention of everyone on the bus, including Li Yifei.
The girl was now glaring at a young man in his twenties standing beside her. Anger blazed in her large eyes, making her look quite fierce.
The young man, wearing a leather jacket and sporting a green-styled haircut, looked neither apologetic nor ashamed but glared back and said, "What are you shouting for? In such a crowded bus, a little bump is normal, isnât it?"
The girl snapped back, "Normal? Get the hell away from me right now."
"Well, find me a spot then. I donât want to stand either. Little brat, donât cheek me. Keep it up, and Iâll slap you," the guy retorted, staring her down.
It was clear to everyone what was happening. The man had been trying to take advantage of the crowd to harass the girl, but she was feisty and wouldnât just suffer in silence like many women might.
Li Yifei gently tugged at the girlâs arm and said, "Letâs swap places."
The girl turned to look at Li Yifei, nodded, and thanked him, "Thanks, Uncle."
Li Yifei chuckled at being called âUncleâ and shifted the girl with one hand on her shoulder to swap places with her amidst the crowded bus.
Now, Li Yifei found himself between the girl and the green-haired young man, effectively preventing the latter from bothering the girl any further.
The bus was still packed, and Li Yifei was still in close contact with the girl, but his shoulder was touching her back, so she didnât think he was taking advantage of her. She even turned around and gave him a pretty smile.
After riding for four stops, Li Yifei prepared to get off, and the girl started to squeeze her way to the rear. It seemed they were getting off at the same stop. Li Yifei guessed that she was probably a student at the high school near his company.
Li Yifei also made a point of helping the girl off the bus.
"Thanks, Uncle! So, youâre getting off here too?" The girl didnât immediately leave but instead spoke to Li Yifei with a smile.
Li Yifei pointed at the company building ahead and said, "I work there."
"I attend the Fourth High School just behind here. Nice to meet you, Iâm Chu Xiaoyao," she said, offering her hand to Li Yifei with a friendly gesture.
Li Yifei found it amusing how formal kids were these days and shook her hand, introducing himself, "My nameâs Li Yifei."
With a giggle, she said, "Well then, weâre acquainted now, Uncle. What time do you finish work?"
"Why?"
"We can walk together after work. Iâd rather travel with you, Uncle. I donât want others taking advantage. You can be my protector."
Li Yifei couldnât help but smile, "Okay, I get off work at five-thirty, and I usually leave the company around five-ten."
"Then weâre about the same, I finish school at four-fifty. Iâll wait for you, Uncle, for a bit. Weâve made a deal now, you better not stand me up."
Li Yifei laughed, "I wonât. I donât usually have anything to do after work, I just go straight home."
Chu Xiaoyao giggled, waved to Li Yifei, and ran ahead. After a few steps, though, she ran back, clattering in her hurry, and said, "Uncle, can I borrow your phone for a sec?"
Li Yifei knew Chu Xiaoyao was asking for his phone number, so he handed over his mobile. Chu Xiaoyao dialed a number on it, and soon, her phone rang with music, after which she handed his mobile back to Li Yifei, smiling, "Uncle, save my number, okay? I donât want to call you and have you not know who I am."
"Sure." Li Yifei smiled and agreed, waved back to Chu Xiaoyao who bounced happily on her way back to school.
Youth is wonderful. Li Yifei once had such carefree days, but those days were gone forever. Watching Chu Xiaoyao did stir up memories for Li Yifei, and it seemed to lighten his mood quite a bit.
While the logistics department didnât seem to have big issues to deal with, there were endless small ones. Li Yifei was busy all day, he didnât even know what he was busy with. But for Li Yifei, this fulfilling life was pretty good.
Meanwhile, Michelle was constantly worried that Zhao QingSheng might cause trouble for Li Yifei, but Zhao QingSheng didnât appear at the company that day.
Today was Friday, but due to the Lunar New Yearâs shifting holidays, they still had to work the next day. Working two weeks in a row made everyone feel quite tired, but Li Yifei felt pretty good. Going to work was at least fulfilling, as he didnât have anything to do by himself on the weekends.
After work, Li Yifei leisurely left the company and saw Chu Xiaoyao pacing back and forth at the companyâs entrance, constantly looking inside. The security guards at the door were occasionally glancing at her. For these bachelors, such a beautiful girl had a certain allure, and they were curious who she was waiting for.
"Uncle!" When Chu Xiaoyao saw Li Yifei, she immediately stopped walking, waving and calling out to him.
Li Yifei had forgotten about Chu Xiaoyao waiting for him and greeted her with a smile, but he was stopped at the door by a familiar security guard, who pulled at Li Yifeiâs arm and whispered, "Yifei, whatâs your relationship with this little girl?"
"Nothing, just met her." Li Yifei replied casually.
The security guardâs eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, Yifei, youâre getting more amazing, bagging a little Lolita."
Li Yifei suddenly felt embarrassed, "What nonsense are you talking about, am I that kind of beast?"
"You are." The security guard vigorously nodded his head, then turned to look at Chu Xiaoyao with envy.
Li Yifei, lost for words, shook off the security guard and headed straight for Chu Xiaoyao, "You really waited for me, huh?"
"Of course, why wouldnât I rely on an uncle like you as a bodyguard?" she said and then chuckled.
Li Yifei shook his head, "I really didnât expect to end up as a bodyguard for a little girl." He reflected on how he had protected many people in his life, and though he had protected girls her age too, none of them were as forward as her.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder to the bus stop. Chu Xiaoyao tilted her head and asked, "Uncle, you just started working at this company, right?"
"Pretty much."
"No wonder I didnât see you before. That means youâre not a senior executive yet, just a small employee."
"Yeah, you see senior executives donât take the bus; they have their own cars."
"Hehe, but senior executives all start from being small employees, right? I believe one day, Uncle, youâll definitely become a senior executive."
Li Yifei couldnât help but laugh, "I donât even have confidence in myself, where do you get so much confidence in me from?"
"Itâs simple, Uncle likes to help people, and thatâs sure to get you noticed by the leaders."
"Forget it, our leaders donât appreciate me that much."
"Thatâs because they lack vision," Chu Xiaoyao huffed, "Hey, when I have my own company in the future, I will definitely make you my CEO."
Li Yifei laughed heartily, "Well, Iâll be waiting for that day then, just hope it wonât make me wait until my hair turns white."
"Hehe..." Chu Xiaoyao cheekily stuck out her tongue, "Thatâs true, I donât even know what sort of job Iâll be able to find for myself in the future."